Graduate Renewable Energy Certificate

Overview

Designed for professionals in the energy industry, including administrators, engineers, business entrepreneurs, and others impacted by new policies and practices relating to renewable energy, the online Graduate Certificate in Renewable Energy (GREC) covers energy technologies, energy markets and business, and energy policy.

The reasons that you might choose the GREC Program include the following:

Excellent faculty with expertise in their teaching field and in online teaching

Flexible online format, particularly convenient for the working professional

Broad range of energy-related courses with a focus on policy, business management, and the science of renewable energies

Opportunity to interact in online discussions with people from all over the world

Certificate requirements

The four course (12-credit) certificate program allows you flexibility in your specific coursework while providing a breadth of understanding in different aspects of renewable energy. Selecting four courses from the ten-course certificate curriculum gives you the opportunity to take courses suited to your interest areas.

The courses are designed and taught by top faculty from the University of Nevada, Reno and other research institutions. Courses are designed to facilitate participation in online discussions, case-study analysis, and problem-based learning. The online format accommodates the schedule of working professionals and also allows you to benefit from diverse geographic perspectives of your classmates.

Courses may qualify as professional development hours for Professional Engineers (PE) licensed by the State of Nevada and as professional development education for teachers.

Admissions requirements

The program is open for application to all students who hold an undergraduate degree in engineering, business management, liberal arts or a related field. If you are not currently enrolled in a graduate degree program, you must complete a graduate certificate application in addition to your application to the Graduate Renewable Energy Certificate Program.

The program is funded in part by Nevada Renewable Energy Consortium / DOE (DE-EE0000272), NV Energy, and Extended Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Contact Us

For more information please contact Jill Wallace, Ph.D., program coordinator, at jwallace@unr.edu or call (775) 682-7774. Appointments (in person or online) with Dr. Wallace can be scheduled by phone or email.

Curriculum

"The Alternative Energy Fundamentals course provides students with a holistic and interdisciplinary experience that prepares them for other courses within the Graduate Renewable Energy Certificate program. The course's focus on the political, economic, social, and technical aspects of alternative energy appeals to a wide breadth of student backgrounds and meets the needs of today's working professional."

-- Mike Moltz, Chris Simon

"The classes and instructors were amazing; the whole program was great. To point out a single aspect would not do the program justice."

-- Amber Mann, first certificate graduate

The Graduate Renewable Energy Certificate is a unique program that investigates the topic of renewable energy from several multidisciplinary and related perspectives, including science, policy, engineering, community, and business.

Students may select four classes out of the ten graduate course offerings that best suit their interest and background. All courses and exams are delivered in an online format with course offerings available in the fall, spring and summer semesters.

Faculty

William Patrick Arnott, Ph.D.

Dr. Arnott holds a B.S. in physics from the University of Southern Colorado, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in physics from Washington State University. His current research involves development and use of novel instruments for particulate air pollution measurements in the atmosphere, and he holds two patents associated with various instrument designs. These patents have been licensed by Droplet Measurement Technology.

Dr Arnott has 23 years of experience teaching physics and atmospheric science courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level, and he is currently the director of the undergraduate Atmospheric Science Program at the University. He is also a member of the graduate faculty in both physics and atmospheric science.

Dr. Arnott's postdoctoral research involved numerical simulation and experiments for novel thermoacoustic refrigerators that use simple climate-benign gases like Helium and Helium/Xenon mixtures. These gases do not destroy the ozone layer or contribute to global warming as do common refrigerants like chlorofluorocarbons.

David R. Boden, Ph.D.

Dave Boden is currently Professor of Geoscience at Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, Nevada. Since 2007, he has taught a course on the geology of geothermal resources as part of the college's certificate and applied associate of science degree programs in renewable energy (geothermal emphasis). Prior to coming to Truckee Meadows Community College in 2004, Dr. Boden worked in the minerals industry for about 20 years looking for base and precious metal deposits-the fossil analogs of today's geothermal systems.

Dr. Boden has earned degrees in geology and geological engineering from UC Davis, Colorado School of Mines, and Stanford University and is currently involved in writing an introductory textbook on the geology of geothermal resources. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking and skiing to backcountry hot springs with family and friends.

Todd Felts, Ph.D.

Todd Felts began as an assistant professor of strategic communications in 2008 after 20 years working in strategic communications at organizations along the East coast, including serving as speechwriter and press secretary for Gov. Jim Hunt of North Carolina.

At Nevada, Felts received the Honors Program Distinguished Faculty Award and the Semenza Christian Award for Excellence in Teaching. He also spent three years serving as the director of the graduate program in interactive journalism. Through grants through the U.S. Department of State, he has been involved in several international visitor programs to Nevada, including serving as the academic director for the Algerian Youth Leadership Program since 2009. In 2010, he was the co-recipient of a National Science Foundation Grant to create a community engagement campaign to increase the number of students who major in science.

Felts earned a doctorate in education management from Drexel University, a master of arts in international communications from Georgetown University, and a bachelor's in broadcast journalism and political science from Lenoir-Rhyne University. Felts is a fellow in the Scripps-Howard Leadership Academy, and earned a graduate certificate in education entrepreneurship at the University of Pennsylvania.

Derek Kauneckis, Ph.D.

Derek Kauneckis is an associate professor at Ohio University's Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs, where he teaches in the Environmental Studies program, and affiliated associate research professor at the Desert Research Institute, Division of Earth & Ecosystem Sciences. He received a Ph.D. in Public Policy from Indiana University at Bloomington.

Dr. Kauneckis' research focuses on governance and institutional design as applied to environmental and science/technology policy. His current work focuses on climate change adaptation and local governance, the resilience of socio-ecological systems, and policy innovation and the science/policy interface. He is the co-author of "Evaluating transferable development rights at Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency: The evolution of collaboration." Dr. Kauneckis has received teaching and mentoring awards from Indiana University and the University of Nevada. His work has been supported by the Fulbright Scholar Program; the National Science Foundation (NSF); the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL); and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Anthony (Tony) Maragakis

Tony Maragakis is currently a project management expert delivering mega projects internationally. He has worked on projects in four different continents and has managed a project portfolio greater than $2B for the last five years. In addition to being a project management expert, Tony has a specialization in sustainable systems. He was the Greek representative for the European Network of Resilient Cities and was successful in gaining the first EU FP7 funded programs in Cyprus for sustainable research.

Tony received his BS in Civil Engineering and BA in Economics from the University of Nevada, Reno, his MSc in International Construction Management for the University of Bath in the UK and is currently finishing his PhD in Architecture and the Built Environment from TU Delft in the Netherlands.

Curtis Robbins

Curtis Robbins is a Mechanical Engineer at ADM Associates, Inc. which specializes in energy engineering consulting. He evaluates energy efficiency and renewable energy programs for utilities and other clients across North America. His main focus is on the assessment of energy impacts for Commercial and Industrial businesses. Prior to joining ADM Associates, Curtis researched and developed renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency measures at the Desert Research Institute.

Michael Moltz, M.Ed.

Mike Moltz lectures for the Graduate Renewable Energy Certificate (GREC) program within the College of Engineering and teaches at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville where he is finishing his Ph.D. in Political Science. Mike received his M.ED. and B.A. in Political Science from the University of Nevada, Reno. He was one of the first graduates of the university's undergraduate renewable energy program and is an NSF research award recipient for research into climate change and alternative energy policy. Mike has taught the undergraduate renewable energy course at UNR and currently teaches ENGR 600: Alternative Energy Fundamentals and ENGR 620: Renewable Energy in the Home and Local Community as part of the GREC program. Prior to joining UNR he was an IT consultant, in which capacity he trained public service employees in the adoption of information technology solutions. His teaching and research interests concern alternative/renewable energy policy, interdisciplinary education, public personnel administration, and public budgeting.

Guadalupe Paredes-Miranda, Ph.D.

Lupita Paredes-Miranda received her M.S. and Ph.D. in atmospheric science from the University of Nevada, Reno and a bachelor's degree in physics from the University National Autonomous of Mexico (UNAM).

She has taught Introduction to Atmospheric Meteorology at the University, and made extensive use of WebCampus for delivering portions of her course. Her research is associated with the role of atmospheric aerosol in air pollution, atmospheric radiation transfer, and cloud properties.

Ravi Subramanian, Ph.D.

Ravi Subramanian is an associate professor in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering. He received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame in 2004.

His research is the field of alternate energy with emphasis in materials. He has more than 10 years of experience in solar energy materials synthesis, characterization, and application. He mentors students in master's and Ph.D. programs and has several publications to his credit. He has also spearheaded the teaching of alternate energy courses at the University of Nevada, Reno for several year

Semester Dates

The Online Graduate Certificate in Renewable Energy is open to all students who hold an undergraduate degree in engineering, business management, liberal arts or a related field.

To complete the certificate, students must successfully complete four 3-credit GREC courses, 12 credits total, with a B or better grade point average in their four courses selected for the certificate. These four courses must be completed within two years of matriculation.

This program is approved for VA Education Benefits. Benefits need to be set up through the UNR Veteran Services Office. Contact Terina Caserto at terinac@unr.edu.

The certificate program may be used to fulfill the renewable energy emphasis area of the University of Nevada, Reno's on-campus MBA degree program.

Please note: Due to federal regulations and state authorization requirements, the online certificate may not be eligible to residents of certain states. Please contact Jill Wallace if you reside outside of Nevada, jwallace@unr.edu.

When your non-degree graduate application has been approved, submit the following documents that apply to your status:

If you qualify as a Nevada Resident, go to the UNR Forms page and download the Residency Application (link to document is listed in the Residency section). After completing this form, FAX it to 775-784-4283 OR mail it to: Admissions and Records, University of Nevada, Reno/MS 120, Reno, NV 89557. The Residency Application must be submitted and approved in order for you to qualify for resident tuition costs.

If you plan to take on-campus courses or use any on-campus UNR facilities (for example: Knowledge Center, Lombardi Recreation, etc.),you must submit immunization records to the university. FAX your records to 775-784-4283 OR mail them to: Admissions and Records, University of Nevada, Reno/MS 120, Reno, NV 8955. Students who are not registering for any on-campus course and who do not plan to use any UNR on-campus campus facilities may submit a Distance Education Immunization Exemption Request form to Jill Wallace, jwallace@unr.edu. This immunization exemption form will also be used to register you for your online classes.

Once steps 1 and 2 have been completed, you will be able to register for your classes.

Because all of the courses in the GREC program are entirely online courses, this same application process applies to international students who reside outside the U.S. or inside the U.S. on an F-1 visa.

If you have any questions or need assistance with your renewable energy certificate application, please contact Jill Wallace jwallace@unr.edu or (775) 682-7774.

Tuition and Fees

Spring 2017

If a third party will be paying for your courses, please contact Becca Ogden at the Cashier's Office (beccao@unr.edu or 775-682-7044) to arrange third party payment; failure to do so may result in late fees and/or an administrative drop for non-payment. Students are responsible for paying any fees not covered by their third-party payment.

Additional Registration & Mandatory Fees, as applicable

These fees are not included in course fee total and can vary depending on the number of credits taken each semester and residency status.

Fee

Applies to resident students who are enrolled in:

Amount

Student Union Fee (7 or greater credits)

7 or greater credits

$97

Student Union Fee (6 or less credits)

6 or less credits

$49

Health Center Fee

6 or greater credits

$93

Counseling Services Fee

6 or greater credits

$50

Performing Arts Fee

All students

$5

Academic Success Fee

All students

$5

Certification Completion Fee

Students will be assessed a $75 "Graduation Fee" during their final semester of the Graduate Renewable Energy Certificate (after 4 courses/12 credits have been successfully completed and a certificate issued).

Additional information

Totals listed do not include cost of textbooks. Fees, tuition and other charges are subject to change without notice. Notwithstanding currently posted tuition and fees, all fees, tuition or other charges which students are required to pay each semester are subject to increase by action of the Board of Regents at any time before the commencement of classes (primarily due to budgetary shortfalls). The amount you are charged at the time of registration is not a final bill and may be increased. You will receive a supplemental invoice for any additional amounts which the Board of Regents may impose. Fee changes put in place less than 30 days before commencement of classes will not be subject to late fee penalties. Please see the Board of Regents Procedures and Guidelines Manual for more information